Four area schools listed among state's worst can seek aid

FLINT — Four local schools are in the bottom 5 percent of a list of the state’s persistently lowest-achieving schools that was released this week by the Michigan Department of Education.

And three more local schools are in danger of falling into that bottom 5 percent.

Schools still in the bottom 5 percent when 2010 figures are released this fall could be subject to state takeover, but a state spokeswoman said schools will be given a chance to make changes before that happens.

“This is an opportunity for them to get a head start in turning around their schools and student performance, with additional finances to implement those efforts,” said Department of Education spokeswoman Jan Ellis.

The list is based on data from 2007 to 2009.

The 108 schools in the bottom 5 percent as of this week are eligible for up to $6 million in federal stimulus money to begin implementing turnaround measures.

Flint Northern High School, Flint Northwestern High School, Mt. Morris Johnson Memorial High School and Flint Hamady High School in the Westwood Heights District were named among the lowest-performing 5 percent, determined by a complex federal formula.

The four schools now can apply for grants worth up to $2 million a year over three years.

The state has $119 million to dole out.

To apply for the money, districts will have to submit school improvement plans using one of the four federal models. The four options include:

Replacing the school’s principal and at least 50 percent of staff while implementing new instructional and leadership structures.

Closing the school and reopening it under charter school management.

Closing the school and relocating students to better-performing schools in the district.

Transforming school leadership and instructional structure, including replacement of the principal who led the school before the beginning of reform efforts and other measures.

Mt. Morris Superintendent Lisa Hagel and Westwood Heights Superintendent Salli Stevens said their districts plan to apply for the funds under the transformational model.

“Obviously, we’re not happy about being on the list,” said Hagel. “We’re not improving our achievement each year as we should be. ... We’ve already taken some pretty drastic (reform) steps this year.”

Mt. Morris Johnson Memorial High School already changed its principal last year and will not have to make the change again under the plan it will submit to the state, said Hagel. The school also converted to a trimester calendar format, allowing for longer class periods, and began some other reform measures.

“We have started the change, but I think the federal government is now going to be able to fund some of the things that we couldn’t have on our own,” Hagel said.

She said the money would be spent on additional staff, extending some classes beyond regular school hours for students who need more help, creating extra incentives for students, new technology, assessment materials and other improvement items.

Westwood Heights district will go all out to prevent a state takeover, said Stevens.

“There’s always that thought in back of your head,” she said. “But we’re certainly going to use this opportunity to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

She said any improvement grant funds would go toward academic coaches, professional development, tutoring and other new resources.

Hamady High School’s principal was changed last year.

“If they have replaced the principal for the purpose of transforming the school and improving student achievement within the last three years, then they do not have to replace (again),” said Ellis, the Department of Education spokeswoman.

Flint Community Schools spokesman Robert Campbell said Tuesday the district has not yet chosen which models to follow for its two low-performing high schools.

“The superintendent currently has a team in place working with the staff at those schools on plans that will position the district to apply for the funds,” he said.

“It’s an opportunity to devise a strategy to improve those two schools. That’s something that the district has been focused on across the board. This provides more incentive to really dig down into those two schools in particular and to come up with a model.”

Lionel Verdun, grandfather of a Northwestern student who has struggled academically, said he wasn’t surprised the school was listed in the bottom 5 percent.

“I can believe it, just from knowing the low GPAs and what have you,” he said. “How are they going to go to college if they’re all flunking? They don’t have the factories to go to anymore. ... It needs some structure, and if the funding will do that, bring somebody in there to do that, than that’s a good thing.”

The four schools ranked in the bottom 1.1 percent to 9.6 percent in combined math and language arts scores collected in state testing from 2007 to 2009.

Some schools that scored lower on the tests were not included on the list of lowest-performing schools, and some that placed higher in testing were listed, because the grant eligibility formula included several other factors, such as continuous improvement in test scores, graduation rates and Title I rank.

Three other Genesee County schools — Bendle High School, Genesee High School and Beecher High School — were listed in the data released by the state Education Department this week as “on the watch list for being in danger of falling onto the lowest 5 percent list.”

Legislation giving the state the ability to close failing schools was passed last December as part of reform measures allowing Michigan to apply for $400 million in federal Race to the Top funding.

Among the other schools listed were 47 Detroit public schools, six Grand Rapids public schools, four Saginaw public schools, 13 charter schools and others.

Districts have a final Aug. 16 deadline to apply for the grants. Stevens said there are also preliminary deadlines to meet in June and July.